Blues scale · 6 notes
G♯ blues scale on guitar
The G♯ blues scale (G sharp blues scale) has 6 notes: G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯ and F♯. The minor pentatonic plus one “blue note”, the ♭5: six notes of pure blues. You may also see it written as A♭ blues, but G♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- G♯
- B
- C♯
- D
- D♯
- F♯
Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W
Sound
Gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy
G♯ blues on the whole fretboard
Every G♯ blues note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, G♯, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
G♯ at fret 4. 4th position: frets 4–7.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of G♯ blues as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from G♯, the G♯ blues scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 sharps (G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | B | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | C♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | D | diminished 5th | 6 |
| 5 | D♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | F♯ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with G♯ blues
A 6-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, G♯ minor. Every note of G♯ blues is in these chords’ key.
- iG♯mG♯ · B · D♯
- ii°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · E
- ♭IIIBB · D♯ · F♯
- ivC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
- vD♯mD♯ · F♯ · A♯
- ♭VIEE · G♯ · B
- ♭VIIF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯
Progressions to try
- G♯m – C♯m – D♯m i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- G♯m – E – D♯m i–♭VI–v
How to use G♯ blues
Reach for it over 12-bar blues, blues-rock, and over dominant 7th chords and minor chords. Its sound is gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy.
Tip: Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide or hammer through it on the way between the 4th and 5th rather than landing on it.
- The G♯ blues scale is G♯ minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” D. See G♯ minor pentatonic.
Where to find G♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every G♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with G♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 4 |
| B (2nd) | 9 |
| G (3rd) | 1 |
| D (4th) | 6 |
| A (5th) | 11 |
| Low E (6th) | 4 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as G♯ blues. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
G♯ blues scale FAQ
What notes are in the G♯ blues scale?
The G♯ blues scale has 6 notes: G♯, B, C♯, D, D♯ and F♯. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. It contains 4 sharps (G♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯).
What chords go with the G♯ blues scale?
The G♯ blues scale is drawn from G♯ minor, whose chords are G♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯. It also works over a G♯ blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the G♯ blues scale on guitar?
The root, G♯, is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 4–7, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as G♯ blues?
The G♯ blues scale is G♯ minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” D.